Abstract

Ministry of the Environment’s Initiatives for
Nature Positive and Biodiversity Evaluation

Seishu OKUDA

Office for Local Nature-positive Transition, Nature Conservation Bureau,
Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan (MOEJ)

 Biodiversity credits have garnered significant international attention as a mechanism for mobilizing resources toward achieving "Nature Positive" outcomes, leading to a surge in efforts toward standardization and market development. Concurrently, movements to assess and manage nature-related risks and opportunities in business activities, such as those framed by the TNFD, are accelerating.

 In this context, the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan (MOEJ), has established a certification system for "Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites" as a primary tool for achieving the "30by30" target. These sites represent Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) where biodiversity is preserved through the initiatives of the private sector and other entities. To date, 485 sites have been certified, with corporations accounting for approximately half of the applicants—a clear indication of the growing interest in Nature Positive strategies within the Japanese business sector.

 To further expand the mobilization of private resources for biodiversity conservation and to develop socio-economic mechanisms such as value-based trading, MOEJ established the "Study Group on Biodiversity Value Evaluation (tentative translation by NK)" in September 2025. This group is currently examining methodologies for the quantitative assessment of biodiversity and natural capital, specifically reflecting the unique ecological characteristics of Japan’s natural environment. This symposium will present an overview of these developments and the current status of these initiatives.

(Translated by Naoto Kamata with support by Gemini)